A long-term test on the safety of Pythium guiyangense to rats
灭蚊真菌贵阳腐霉Pythium guiyangense对大鼠的长期安全性测试

The present study is aimed at investigating if there possibly exist toxic effects of Pythium guiyangense, a mosquito-killing fungus isolated in Guiyang, China in 1994, on rats. 120 rats were treated for 90 and 180 days respectively with suspension of P. guiyangense mycelia orally, and the observation items involved growth index, biochemical and pathological changes of the body. Biochemical indexes including blood routine test and liver and kidney function tests. The results showed that the rats developed and gained their weight normally. The counts of their blood cells were within normal limits. No abnormality was found in biochemical or pathological examinations. It is concluded that P. guiyangense does not show pathogenicity to rats. The experiments were designed strictly following the national regulations for drug tests. The research results have given us confidence that P. guiyangense should be a safe agent for mosquito biocontrol.